Absolute Caribbean Sailing Charters - Sailing Instructions.

Vacation with Absolute Caribbean Sailing Charters

CARIBBEAN SAILING INSTRUCTIONS

COURSE 501

PREPARATION FOR BAREBOAT CHARTERING

TEXT BY:

CAPTAIN JACK FEIEREISEN

Revised 11/17/98

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

Introduction..............................................	3
Sailing Terminology...................................	2
Types of Sailboats.....................................	7
Rigs and Sails............................................	8
Marconi Rig..............................................	8
Masthead and Fractional Rigs....................	9
Types of Sails...........................................	9
How Sails Work.......................................	10
Raising and Lowering Sails........................	11
Reefing Sails.............................................	11
Basic Navigation.......................................	13
Safety Afloat.............................................	16
Before You Sail........................................	16
Man Overboard........................................	17
Weather....................................................	20
Anchoring.................................................	21
Diesel Maintenance...................................	23
Rules of the Road (All Vessels)..................	24
Rules of the Road (Sailing Vessels)...........	25
Evaluation Sheet.......................................	27
Diploma....................................................	29

INTRODUCTION TO SAILING CHARTERS

Sailing Charters is both a skill and an art. As a skill it is an activity involving intellectual and physical skills that can be studied, practiced and taught. As an art it can be a creative, life long endeavor in which some appear more gifted than others. In setting up this Preparation for Bareboat Chartering course I have tried to trim down the incredible wealth of sailing knowledge and practices to those bare essentials necessary to acquire safe sailing skills. Even so, there is much to learn. Some of this knowledge and the accompanying terminology can be found in this text, but most of it will be learned while you are sailing the DREAMWALKER. If you find the text difficult to understand or the terminology difficult to master, don’t worry! Most everything you need to know is far easier to do than to study.

Because of the need for brevity I have oversimplified almost every topic in order to provide you with an easily learned, solid but simplified, foundation for safe sailing. As you continue sailing you may find some of my techniques unnecessary, some of my terminology poorly defined and some of the my statements untrue. Excellent! Always remember Leonardo Da Vinci’s dictum, "The student who does not surpass the teacher fails him!"

FEIEREISEN’S MAXIM #1: NEVER TRUST ANYONE ON THE WATER FRONT--INCLUDING CAPTAIN JACK!

For further reading:

Chapman: Piloting, Seamanship & Small Boat Handling. Elbert S. Maloney. Hearst Marine Books, New York [The small boat "Bible" which has been published for seventy years and sixty editions.]

ROYCE’S SAILING ILLUSTRATED. Patrick M Royce. Western Marine Enterprises, Inc. Marina del Rey, California. [Since 1956 this has been one of the best reference books on sailing available. It is now in its 10th edition]

THE OXFORD COMPANION TO SHIPS AND THE SEA. Peter Kemp, ed. Oxford University Press. [A wonderful encyclopedia and an unbeatable dictionary of nautical terms.]

SAILING TERMINOLOGY

Since the wind is the engine that drives a sailing vessel, the direction of the wind and the consequent sail adjustment is tremendously important. Sailors have therefore developed a number of terms referring to the wind, the wind direction and the position of the vessel in relation to the wind.

TRUE WIND: The actual direction and speed of the wind as it would be measured from a stationary weather station.

APPARENT WIND: The direction and speed of the wind as it is measured from a moving object.

PORT TACK: A vessel is on a ‘port tack’ when the winds is blowing from the port (left) side of the vessel.

STARBOARD TACK: A vessel is on a ‘starboard tack’ when the wind is blowing from the starboard (right) side of the vessel.

LEEWARD: ‘Leeward’ is a relative term. A vessel is leeward of an island if it is down wind from the island. Similarly, An island is leeward of a vessel if it is down wind from the vessel. The lee shore is thus the most dangerous because it is the shore upon which you can be blown.

WINDWARD: ‘Windward’ is another relative term. A vessel is windward of an island if it is up wind from the island.

FALL OFF: A vessel is said to ‘fall off’ when it turns down wind.

COME UP: A vessel is said to ‘come up’ when it turns up wind.

POINTS OF SAIL: The ‘points of sail’ describe the position of the vessel and the set of the sails relative to the apparent wind. The five points of sail are: Close Haul, Close Reach, Beam Reach, Broad Reach and Running or Running Free.

CLOSE HAUL: A vessel is on a ‘close haul’ when it is sailing within 45^o of the apparent wind. In these circumstances the vessel is said to be beating into the wind.

CLOSE REACH: A vessel is on a ‘close reach’ when it is sailing 46^{o
-}70^o off the apparent wind.

BEAM REACH: A vessel is on a ‘beam reach’ when it is sailing 71^o - 110^o off the apparent wind.

BROAD REACH: A vessel is on a ‘broad reach’ when it is sailing 111^o - 170^o off the apparent wind.

RUNNING or RUNNING FREE: A vessel is ‘running’ or ‘running free’ when it is sailing 171^o -180^o off the apparent wind.

AS A GENERAL RULE FOR SETTING SAILS, THE CLOSER A VESSEL SAILS TO THE WIND THE TIGHTER THE SAILS SHOULD BE BROUGHT IN. YOU WILL BE VERY CLOSE TO THE CORRECT SAIL SET IF YOU TIGHTEN THE SAIL UNTIL IS JUST CEASES TO LUFF.

TACKING: A vessel is ‘tacking’ or ‘tacks’ when its bow is brought through the wind. Before tacking the helmsman says "Ready About" to ensure his crew is prepared for the tack. When prepared, the crew responds "Ready." The helmsman then brings the vessel into the wind saying "Coming About" or "Hard a Lee".
JIBING: A vessel; is ‘jibing’ or ‘jibes’ when its stern is brought through the wind. Before jibing the helmsman must make sure the main sheet is tight to prevent injury to the crew. He then says "Prepare to Jibe" warning his crew that he intends to jibe. When the crew is ready for the jibe, they respond, "Prepared". The helmsman then turns the vessel down wind saying "Jibe Ho!"
RIGGING: A sailing vessel’s rigging is divided into two types: Standing Rigging and Running Rigging.
STANDING RIGGING: A vessel’s standing rigging includes the shrouds, stays and associated hardware that is used to hold up the mast. Typically, the standing rigging is composed of stainless wire.
RUNNING RIGGING: A vessel’s running rigging includes the lines that are used to handle the sails. Typically, the running rigging is made from braided dacron. Running Rigging includes:
SHEETS: Sheets are lines used to set sails and are named after the sail they set: e.g., ‘jib sheet,’ ‘staysail sheet’, ‘main sheet’.
HALYARDS: Halyards are lines used to hoist the sail and are named after the sail they hoist: e.g. ‘jib halyard,’ ‘staysail halyard, ‘mainsail halyard’.
TOPPING LIFT: The topping lift is the line used to raise and lower the boom.

TYPES OF SAILBOATS:

Although historically there have been hundreds of different types of sailing vessels, modern sailing yachts generally fall into one of five categories:

SLOOP: A sloop is a sailing vessel with one mast and two sails: A mainsail and a jib or genoa.
CUTTER: A cutter is a sailing vessel with one mast and two or more foresails. If it has just two foresails, the forward sail is a Jib, Genoa or, more traditionally, a Yankee. The aft foresail is a staysail. Strictly speaking any type of vessel can be cutter rigged--i.e., have two or more foresails, but the term ‘cutter’ rather than ‘cutter rigged’ is reserved for one masted vessels.
KETCH: A ketch is a two masted vessel on which the forward or main mast is taller than the aft or mizzen mast The Ketch flies three sails. From fore to aft they are: the Jib, the main and the mizzen.
SCHOONER: The schooner is a two (or more) masted vessel on which the forward mast, the foremast, is shorter than the aft mast, the main mast. Although terminology differs because of both the type of schooner and the type of sails flown, the schooner’s sails from fore to aft are the Jib, the foresail and the mainsail.
YAWL: Like a Ketch, the Yawl is a two masted vessel on which the forward or main mast is taller than the aft mast (Sometimes called a ‘mizzen’). The difference rests in the location of the aft mast: On a Yawl the mizzen mast is located aft of the rudder post. In a Ketch, the mizzen is located forward of the rudder post. Usually the mizzen on a yawl is considerably shorter than the mainmast, while on Ketches the mizzen will be only slightly shorter.. From fore to aft the sails flown on a Yawl are: The Jib, The Mainsail and the Jigger (Sometimes called the ‘mizzen’).

RIGS AND SAILS

The most efficient and popular sailing rig is the Marconi Rig, in which the mainsail is the shape of a right triangle and attached to the boom at its bottom and the mast at its front.

The Jib or foresail on a Marconi rig is either a masthead rig or a fractional (standard) rig. In a masthead rig the jib or foresail goes to the top of the mast, while in a fractional or standard rig it does not.

MASTHEAD RIG FRACTIONAL RIG

Finally, the foresail on a Marconi Rig may be either a Yankee, a Jib or a Genoa A Yankee is a high cut foresail most often found on cutter rigged sailing vessels. A jib is a foresail that covers no more than 110% of the triangular area enclosed by the forestay, J length and mast. The Genoa covers more than 110% of that triangular area.

HOW SAILS WORK: Sails work differently on different points of sail. When running or running free a vessel is simply pushed along by the wind’s force on the back of the sails..

WIND’S EFFECT WHEN RUNNING

With the sails properly set on a reach the situation is entirely different. On a reach, the wind exerts both a pushing and a pulling action on the sails. This pulling action is sometimes called ‘lift’ because on a reach the sails act as airfoils, like the wings of an airplane. This lift occurs because wind flows at a greater rate of speed along the forward surface of the sail, creating an area of lower pressure ahead of the sail that actually pulls the vessel.

WINDS EFFECT ON A REACH

The actual force exerted by the wind is at right angles to the sail and would tend to drive the boat sideways if the vessel’s hull were perfectly flat. Sailing vessel are, however, equipped with a deep keel to prevent most of this sideways slippage (leeway). Thus a sailboat’s course is the result of both the force of the wind and the resistance of the keel.

RAISING AND LOWERING THE SAILS: Almost all bareboats are Maconi rigged sloops or cutters. With the exception of sails that are roller furled on such vessels, the sails are generally raised and lowered while the helmsman steers the boat directly into the wind (‘0^oApparent’ or ‘0^o Relative’). The order in which the sails are raised follows the rule: "Start forward, drop backward." Thus when raising sails you raise the foremost sail (the jib) first and the mainsail last. When dropping sails the order is backward: You start with the mainsail and proceed to the jib..

Roller furling sails are a bit different: The helmsman should steer the vessel around 45^o off the wind both when the sail is rolled out and when the sail is rolled in. This slight angle off the wind allows the sail to fill slightly and thus tension the roller furling line--the line used to roll the sail in and used to allow it to roll out. In letting out the sail this tension is what actually pulls the sail out. In rolling the sail in it keeps the luff of the sail straight and prevents candy striping. ‘Candystriping’ is the term used to describe a foresail that is improperly rolled: The sunbrella (sun protective material sewn on the luff, usually colored) and the (usually white) sail material alternate in a peppermint stick pattern.

REEFING SAILS: Reducing the area of sail is the key to heavy weather sailing. Short of collision, rigging failure, or poor anchoring, it is difficult to endanger a sound sailing vessel unless it is over canvassed (has too much sail for the wind and sea conditions). The process of reducing sail area is called ’‘reefing."

REEFING THE MAINSAIL: The mainsail on most bareboats is set up with two reef points and a jiffy reefing system. The ‘reef points’ are simply a set of lines, parallel to and above the boom, that run through the mainsail and can be tied around the sail’s foot to shorten the sail. A ‘jiffy reefing system’ consists of lines and blocks run from the boom through the luff and leach of the sail and back to the boom. The ‘jiffy’ system makes reefing easy.

REEFING THE MAINSAIL

Don’t worry! Like most sailing activities, reefing is far more difficult to study than to do.

REEFING THE FORESAIL: Foresails may be ‘reefed’ in one of three ways. First, some foresails are designed with reef points built in, just like a mainsail. On these foresails you simply tie the reef lines to the foot of the foresail. Second, with many hank-on foresails you simply replace the existing foresail with a smaller one. Finally, since most bareboats are equipped with a roller furling jib, you simply roll in the jib until you are comfortable with the foresail size.

BASIC NAVIGATION

Almost all maritime navigation makes use of a nautical chart, a detailed miniaturization of a specific area that includes information especially important to the prudent mariner: The water depth, the nature and location of obstructions and other hazards, the location and type of various aids to navigation, the bottom composition and the predominate features of adjacent land masses. Indeed nautical charts contain such a wealth of information that they use over four hundred different symbols and abbreviations to guide maritime activity.

Fortunately you do not have to know all these symbols and abbreviations to navigate safely. You must, however, understand some of the basic terminology and concepts of maritime navigation.

We have all looked at globes, which are Mercartor projections of the earth, and noticed the lines running horizontally and vertically. The vertical lines are meridians or lines of longitude, the horizontal lines are lines of latitude. By convention, the lines of longitude start at the town of Greenwich England (0^o longitude) and extend 180^oWest and 180^oEast. The lines of latitude start at the equator and extend to the poles, 90^oNorth and 90^o South.

Note that on a Mercator projection the Lines of Longitude are not parallel: Toward the poles they are much closer together than they are at the equator. The lines of latitude are parallel and hence equidistant. This fact provides the key to understanding the maritime use of ‘knots’ (short form of ‘nautical mile’). The earth is, roughly, a circle--i.e., it encompasses 360^o from its imaginary center point. There are 90^onorth of the equator and 90^o south of the equator on both the East and West sides of the earth (4 x 90^{o =}360^o). Knowing this geographers measured the distance from the equator to the poles (roughly 32,810,400 feet), divided by 90, and discovered that each degree of latitude is 364,560 feet.

Taking their clue from the standard of time, the geographers then divided each degree further into minutes and seconds. Each degree is thus subdivided into sixty minutes, and each minute is further divided into sixty seconds. A minute is thus 6,076 feet, a second a little over 101 feet. This is important because a nautical mile is equal to one minute of latitude.

ONE NAUTICAL MILE = ONE MINUTE OF LATITUDE = 6,076 FEET

ONE NAUTICAL MILE = 1/60 OF A DEGREE

OR

60 NAUTICAL MILES = ONE DEGREE OF LATITUDE

Given this background it is not difficult to understand how longitude and latitude are measured. Both are given in terms of degrees, minutes and hundredths of minutes. Thus the position of my mooring off Water Island is:

N 18^o19.35’

W 064^o57.32’

Which is read as "North Eighteen degrees, nineteen point three five minutes latitude by West sixty four degrees, fifty seven point three two minutes longitude."

In maritime navigation, courses are plotted by determining where you are (the vessel’s position in terms of longitude and latitude) and where you want to go (for example, the longitude and latitude of your anchorage). Once you know both your position and your destination, you can use a parallel ruler and a nautical chart to determine your course.

Unfortunately there are a number of factors that must be taken into consideration when plotting a course in such a manner: The difference between true and magnetic north, and the resulting compass variation.

True north is defined as the center of the North Pole. Because of certain geological and atmospheric factors a compass does not point to the center of the north pole but to what we call ‘magnetic north.’ The difference between true north and magnetic north is known as ‘variation’ or ‘compass variation’. This difference if very important for two reasons: (1) Any course can be given in relation to true north or in relation to magnetic north. Thus it is ambiguous to say your course is 48^o. Rather, a course must be given either as "48^o True" or as "48^o Magnetic". (2) Variation changes from year to year and from location to location. Fortunately, the ‘compass rose.’ printed in magenta on all charts, provides the date of the chart, the variation as of that date and the annual rate of change. The compass rose also indicates true and magnetic north.

In the Western Hemisphere, to compute the actual variation, multiply the annual rate of change by the number of years since the chart was published. Next, add the result to the compass rose’s stated variation. The result will be actual variation.

RATE OF CHANGE x NUMBER OF YEARS + STATED VARIATION =

ACTUAL VARIATION

If, for example, your chart indicates that the variation was 11^o38.00’ W in 1985 and the annual rate of change is 7’ W, your variation in 1999 will be 7’ x 14 (1999 -1985 =14) or 91’ which equals one degree 31 minutes (Remember there are sixty, not one hundred, minutes in a degree.). Your actual variation from true north in 1997 will thus be 13^o09.00’ (11^o38.00 plus 1^o31.00^’).

If the charted course you need is 48^o True, simply subtract the actual variation from the charted course to get your magnetic course and hence your compass heading.

SAFETY AFLOAT

When chartering a bare boat you are usually provided with a vessel that is to be sailed during the day in relatively populated areas. As a consequence, safety afloat requires knowing a few basic skills and being familiar with the vessel’s emergency and safety features. The following list includes some of the more important items you and a fellow crew member should check before you leave the dock.

LOCATION, NUMBER AND TYPE OF PFDS: There should be one correctly sized PFD for every person aboard. There should also be one Type 4 throwable flotation device on deck.

LOCATION, DATE AND USE OF FLARES: The law requires that all vessels be equipped with signal flares and a sound signaling device. The flares are dated and should not be more than three years old. The sound signaling device--usually an air horn--should be checked.

LOCATION AND USE OF FIRE EXTINGUISHERS: Make sure the extinguishers are fully charged and not out dated.

LOCATION OF CHARTS AND CHARTING INSTRUMENTS: Make sure that you have the charts necessary for your planned itinerary and adjacent areas.

LOCATION OF FUEL AND PROPANE SHUT OFF.

LOCATION AND USE OF FIRST AID KIT:

RUNNING, STEAMING AND ANCHOR LIGHTS: Even though your bareboat company will advise you not to sail at night, you may--in an emergency situation--be required to do so. Check your running, steaming and anchor lights before leaving harbor every day.

LOCATION AND USE OF VHF RADIO: At least two crew members should know how to make calls and listen to weather forecasts on the VHF radio. Channel 16 is monitored by the Coast Guard and used only for hailing and emergency calls. Weather channels are most often to be found from Channels 01 - 09. In addition, your bareboat company will most likely monitor a VHF channel so they can advise you or send a chase boat if you have trouble. The captain should check the weather before the vessel leaves dock.

Once you have left the dock or anchorage there are a number of safety practices that should be inculcated in the crew:

DEVELOP "SEA LEGS": Surprisingly over half my students step on board and walk around as though they were on shore. Under sail. a vessel in the Caribbean does not provide a stable platform on which to walk. As a consequence safety afloat requires that the mariner use the life lines, stays and handholds whenever he moves about. "Sea Legs" includes not only your legs but also both your hands. All four should be used when moving about, boarding or departing from a vessel. It is a good practice, even at dock or in a calm anchorage, to develop your "sea legs".

WALK ON THE WINDWARD SIDE OF THE VESSEL: When going forward or moving about it is generally best to walk on the windward side of the vessel. If you do fall, you will fall into rather than out of the vessel.

WATCH CREW: It is the helmsman’s responsibility to keep track of all crew who are on deck. It is also his responsibility to ensure that they have developed their "sea legs" and walk correctly.

MAN OVERBOARD

FEIEREISEN’S MAXIM #2: A PRUDENT MARINER WILL NEVER HAVE TO PICK UP HIS OWN CREW MEMBER..

The Caribbean is not an inland lake. If someone falls overboard without a harness or life jacket there is a very good chance that he or she will be lost at sea. This is especially true at night. I have conducted daylight man overboard exercises in relatively calm seas (less than six feet) for years using bright, white flotation devices. In about 10% of the exercises the crew simply could not find the flotation device. The moral is simple: A prudent mariner will run his vessel to ensure that no one ever falls overboard.

You may, however, be required to pick up crew from another vessel. There are three basic methods for maneuvering a vessel under sail to pick up a ‘man overboard’ (MOB): The figure-eight, the rectangle, and the quick tack.

In the figure-eight method the helmsman tacks through the wind twice, runs down wind until the vessel is leeward of the MOB and turns into the wind luffing the sails. Because this is, in my view, the safest and surest method of recovering a MOB, it is the method we will practice on the DREAMWALKER.

In the rectangle method the helmsman falls off, counts ten, and jibes until the vessel is abeam or slightly down wind of the MOB. He then sails the vessel leeward of the MOB and luffs the sails for recovery. Although this method is quicker than the figure-eight, it has the disadvantage of requiring a jibe which, in emergency circumstances with an inexperienced crew, may cause further injury or damage to the vessel.

In the quick tack method the helmsman immediately turns into the wind, tacks when the vessel has lost speed, and then heads leeward of the MOB. When he is leeward of the MOB, he luffs sails and makes the recovery. According to Cruising World Magazine the quick tack method is the quickest and safest method for recovering a MOB. Unfortunately, every time I have tried the quick-tack method I have ended up screaming past the MOB and have had to adopt either of the above methods to make the recovery.

STEPS TO FOLLOW IN AN EMERGENCY MOB DRILL: The steps to follow in an emergency MOB situation will vary with the sea conditions, the type of vessel, the experience of the crew and whether or not the MOB is conscious. There can be, therefore, no hard and fast rules about what should be done. Some authors suggest immediately starting the engine and motoring back to the MOB. In some conditions I would concur, in others I would disagree.

The following are a list of steps to take in most MOB situations regardless of the method used to return to the MOB:

The MOB should not go quietly into the sea. If you should be the MOB yell your lungs out when you first fall overboard. After thirty seconds or so, quit yelling, conserve your energy, and leisurely swim to any flotation device that might have been thrown. When you see the vessel returning do everything you can to attract the crew’s attention: Splash water, yell, throw your shirt into the air, etc., but do not wear yourself out. The crew may not see you on the first few passes.

YELL "MAN OVERBOARD." The first person to see the MOB should yell "Man overboard," and throw any available flotation devices. This person should continue being the ‘spotter’--i.e., the person who never, under any circumstances, takes his eyes off the MOB. If the helmsman is the first person to see the MOB, he should either relinquish the helm and become the spotter or assign spotter duties to another crew member who sees the MOB in the water. The spotter’s diligence, or lack of it, may very well determine the fate of the MOB. The spotter thus becomes the most important member of the crew: Others are to follow his orders and make way for him if he needs to move in order to maintain sight of the MOB.

TAKE POSITION. If sufficient crew is available, or if the helmsman can take the time, the ‘MOB’ or ‘Save’ button should be pushed on any available electrical equipment such as a Loran or GPS. If the MOB is not quickly recovered, this position can be used to guide other search vessels.

DO NOT HIT MOB. Upon returning the vessel leeward of the MOB the helmsman should luff the sails so the vessel slows and stops leeward of the MOB.

THROW FLOTATION DEVICE. If he does not already have one, a flotation device should be thrown to the MOB. He can then be picked up the with a boarding ladder, rope harness or dinghy.

WEATHER

FEIEREISEN’S MAXIM #3: NEVER GO LOOKING FOR IT!

Even in the Virgin Islands weather can sometimes be a problem for bareboat sailors. Rain and the very rare fog can diminish visibility. Squalls (intense, short term storms) can pack gale force winds and uncomfortable seas. Lightning strikes can destroy a vessel’s electronics and endanger the crew. A prudent mariner, therefore, always checks the weather before setting sail.

Among cruising boats there is a general rule: "Wait for weather." Unfortunately a bareboat charter lasts only a week or two, and it would be disappointing to sit at anchor the whole time waiting for the weather to clear. You may, consequently, choose to go out in weather that is not ideal. Here are a few tips:

MONITOR YOUR WEATHER: Inexplicably, I know experienced mariners who are often surprised by squalls. A prudent mariner will keep aware of changing weather conditions: He will monitor the movement of the clouds or squalls relative to the vessel (They often do not move the same direction as the apparent wind.), and he will monitor the VHF weather channel and channel 16 for any weather warnings.

REEF BEFORE THE SQUALL ARRIVES: The first squall gusts are often the strongest. If you wait until you feel those gusts to reef, you have waited too long. The old salts have a ready answer to the question, "When should you reef?": "The first time you think about it."

KNOW YOUR LIMITS: Experienced mariners can handle weather conditions that might very well drown novices. The prudent mariner know and adheres to his own limits.

ANCHORING

FEIEREISEN’S MAXIM #4: THE PRUDENT MARINER HATES

THINGS THAT GO "BUMP" IN THE NIGHT

Since even professional mariners spend over 70 % of their time at anchor, safe anchoring is one of the essential skills necessary for safe small boat operation. Far more vessels have been lost at anchor than have ever been lost at sea, and many of them could have been saved had their anchors held in a strong wind.

Anchors are, moreover, the cheapest insurance you can buy. If you lose your mast or your engine close to a lee shore (a shore that is leeward or down wind of your vessel) anchoring may be the only way to save the vessel.

Because it is impossible to carry and retrieve anchors heavy enough to hold a vessel securely in place by weight alone, anchors are designed to dig into the sea bottom. Thus setting the anchor to ensure that it is holding (i.e., that it has properly dug into the bottom) is essential. Once the anchor is properly set, it should dig in further as the vessel tugs on the anchor rode or swings about.

FEIEREISEN’S MAXIM #5: YOU NEVER SAVE MONEY BY PURCHASING INEXPENSIVE GROUND TACKLE!

ANCHORS: Although there is little agreement concerning the "best" overall anchor for all bottom conditions, most mariners agree that the CQR, Bruce, Danforth, and Fortress are all excellent anchors. They also agree that you should never buy a "knock-off", an anchor that looks like one of the above, but is manufactured by a different company. The weight and length of the vessel determine the size anchor that is required. Most ocean-going sailors purchase anchors that are at least one size above what is required.

RODES: The "line" that attaches the vessel to the anchor, the rode, is generally chain, three strand nylon, or a combination of the two. While a number of authors claim that "the consensus appears to be that for most average conditions, the ideal rode is a combination of nylon line and a short length of chain...", I would suggest that in the Caribbean a minimum of fifty feet of chain is essential to ensure that the rode is not cut on rock or coral.

SETTING THE ANCHOR: There are a number of theories about how to best set an anchor. Some authors suggest reversing your vessel until the rode is tight and then running your engine up to a given RPM. Unfortunately, this technique does not take into account the wide power range of engines in contemporary sailing vessels: Reversing a 14 hp Yanmar at 1500 RPM places much less tension on the rode than does reversing a 120 hp Ford Lehman at the same RPM. Other mariners--including many bareboat companies--suggest using two anchors to ensure good holding, but two poorly set anchors very often hold no better and cause more trouble than one poorly set anchor.

CAPTAIN JACK’S THREE TUG METHOD: There are a number of steps involved in Captain Jack’s Three Tug method for setting an anchor, but if properly followed they will ensure a secure anchorage and a good night’s sleep.

NO LEE SHORE. Avoid anchoring off a lee shore. If possible, choose your anchorage to ensure that if your anchor does break (fails to hold) your vessel will drift harmlessly into open water.

PROPER BOTTOM. Your charts will indicate the type of bottom on which your are planning to anchor. When possible, try to anchor on sand. Very often cruising guides will indicate whether a particular anchorage has good or poor holding.

PROPER SCOPE. Use your depth finder or a lead line to determine your depth and hence the proper scope needed for secure anchoring. Scope is the ratio of water depth to rode length. An all chain road requires a minimum scope of 5:1. A combination rode requires a minimum scope of 7:1. Thus if you are anchoring in 15 feet of water with an all chain rode you need to put our 75 feet of chain. If you are using a combination rode you need to put out 105 feet of rode.

DROP ANCHOR IN REVERSE.. It is often best to reverse slowly while dropping anchor and then to slowly feed out line so the rode does not pile up or tangle the anchor.

ATTACH SNUBBER. A snubber is a length of nylon rode attached to an all chain rode and to the vessel to take up any shock that waves or high winds might cause

TUG THREE TIMES. After the rode and snubber are pulled taught, put the vessel in neutral and let them slacken. Then place the vessel in reverse (about 1- 2 kts) and pull the snubber taught. Repeat this procedure two more times. If the rode or snubber seem to hop in the water, if the rode does not slacken, or if the vessel wind cocks (the bow turns down wind), your anchor has probably broke.

DIVE ON YOUR ANCHOR. If possible, use snorkel gear to visually inspect your anchor and ensure that it is properly set.

DIESEL MAINTENANCE

FEIEREISEN’S MAXIM #6: BE KIND TO YOUR DIESEL!

Most Bareboat companies promise that their vessels are in excellent shape. There are, nonetheless, items that should be checked daily to ensure the vessel’s engine continues to run smoothly. These include the fluids (fuel, oil, fresh water--if the engine has a heat exchanger and [if any] hydraulics). If the vessel has appropriate energy monitoring electronics, you should also check the batteries. Finally, while checking these items the prudent mariner will also scan the engine and engine compartment for leaks or other possible failures.

Once you have started the engine check to make sure that there is water coming out of the exhaust, that the engine’s oil, heat and voltage gauges are working and that they indicate their respective systems are functioning properly.

Even though you are chartering someone else’s vessel, treat the diesel kindly: What goes around comes around!.

Diesels Like:

Clean fuel and fuel filters
Clean oil and oil filters
Warming up for at least ten minutes
Cooling down for at least ten minutes
Varying their RPM every hour

DIESEL DO NOT LIKE:
RUNNING AT FULL THROTTLE
ABRUPT CHANGES IN RPM

RULES OF THE ROAD

ALL VESSELS

In maritime law there is an internationally recognized hierarchy of vessel types which defines which type of vessel has the right of way. In close quarter maneuvering (situations in which two or more vessels are on a possible collision course and within one quarter mile of one another), the vessel that has the right of way (the "privileged vessel") is to remain on course, while the vessel that does not have the right of way (the "burdened vessel") is to change course to avoid collision.

The Seven Vessel Types Are: [New Rules Can Take Some Pondering, so Study]

1. NUC(NOT UNDER COMMAND): The NUC cannot maneuver because there is something seriously wrong with the vessel (e.g., the rudder is broken so it cannot be steered or, on a power vessel, the engines are out and the vessel is drifting). The NUC has right of way over all other vessel types.

2. RAM (RESTRICTED IN ABILITY TO MANEUVER): The RAM cannot easily maneuver either because of its construction (e.g., a dredge) or because of its function (e.g., a tug, hip towing a large barge). Because maneuvers are very difficult, the RAM has right of way over all other vessel types except the NUC.

3. CBD (CONSTRAINED BY DRAFT): A vessel is constrained by draft when its draft (the depth a vessel extends below its waterline) is such that it cannot alter course without risking the possibility of going aground. Theoretically any vessel could be a CBD in a shallow channel, but the term is usually reserved for large tankers and cruise ships whose hulls can extend twenty or thirty feet below the surface.

4. TRAWLER: A Trawler is a vessel that is towing gear--most often nets A fishing vessel trolling lines in the water is not a trawler. It is simply a "power boat." Once such a fishing vessel is playing a fish, however, it becomes a trawler.

5. SAILBOAT: A sailing vessel is considered a sailboat only when the motor is off and the vessel is under sail. If the motor is running it is considered a power boat even if it has its sails hoisted.

6. POWERBOAT: Any motorized vessel which does not fit into the other categories is considered a powerboat.

7. SEAPLANE: Because of their relative speed and because they generally do not have to land when there is a danger of collision, seaplanes are to give the right of way to all other vessels.

RULES OF THE ROAD

SAILING VESSELS

Four similar rules have been developed exclusively for sailboats. These four rules are applied in order (i.e., Rule 1 takes precedence over Rule 2, Rules 1 and 2 take precedence over Rule 3, etc.)

The four rules are [Seem Like its Overly Complicated].

1. STARBOARD > PORT: Starboard Tack always has right of way over Port Tack.

2. LEEWARD > WINDWARD: The leeward vessel (i.e., the down wind vessel) always has right of way over the windward vessel (i.e., the up wind vessel).

3. OVERTAKEN > OVERTAKING: When passing, the overtaken vessel always has right of way over the overtaking vessel.

4. CLOSE HAUL > RUNNING FREE: The vessel that is sailing closer to the wind (e.g., a vessel on a close reach) always has right of way over the vessel that is sailing less close to the wind (e.g., a vessel on a broad reach).

SINCE SOME BOATERS DO NOT KNOW THESE RULES AND OTHERS IGNORE THEM, THE LAW AND COMMON SENSE REQUIRE THAT ONE TAKES ALL POSSIBLE MEASURES TO AVOID COLLISION.